Posts Tagged ‘Hospital’

A wonderful day!!!

Saturday, December 17th, 2011

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The day before yesterday I went to have an x-ray of my

Fracture of the shin-bone

Yet there was a vacant parking place for disabled persons.
Next to my car a minibus was parking. If you want or if you don`t, automatically you take a look at the windscreen and you search for the

“blue parking permit”

(blue-coloured parking permit for disabled people)

What a pity, like very often a driver forgot to place the parking permission. Ho, ho, ho… I do believe in Santa Clause again!!
Just as I got off my car, and was sitting in my wheelchair, a lady came on foot in a distance of 30 meters in my direction.
I spent my loveliest and a bit malicious grin to the lady.
I really don`t understand it completely myself, but this lady didn’t have her best day this day. First she harassed the sliding door of the bus, then she jumped on to the driver’s seat, went into reverse gear and then attack…
The sad aspect in this story was, that a few meters behind her instead of me there was a not to be scoffed concrete pillar. She managed to nudge it to the ground nearly. My grin spread much wider when she repeated this action for a second time. ;-)
My new friend, this

concrete pillar

Her front bumper now looks a bit like a cat scratch pole.
She’ll ever remember this parking place for disabled.

Fracture of shin-bone

My fracture from September 4th slowly heals up – anyway, my day was saved.

Translator Teo

3 Handicap parking stories in one day!

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011

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Today no complaints!!!

Yesterday I was positively surprised that I actually could get hold of one of the 6 disabled parking places in front of the hospital for my X-ray appointment.

A black „mobile home“ with a star on the front was standing next to me.
Because SUV drivers often forget to display their disabled parking permit I made small labels which I put on their cars.

Furthermore I have fixed my new wheelchair parking sign on the window (see older blogpost), which unfolded its full effect after the car parking next to mine had changed, so that I really had enough space for getting into my car. Great thing.

When I wanted to back into my disabled parking place in front of my house around 6 o’clock, it was already dark, a woman on a bicycle was just passing by.

She stopped, came to me and friendly pointed out that this was a disabled parking place. In this moment she saw my wheelchair and parking permit.

I thanked her, she thought probably that I hadn’t seen the labeling in the dark.

I think her behaviour is exemplary and absolutely worth mentioning!

Translator BL

 

Feedback on the shinbone fracture

Tuesday, November 8th, 2011

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2 months after the involuntary flight show from my wheelchair during which I broke my shinbone (see older blogposts as of 06.09.2011) I was yesterday at the

X-Ray check-up.

X-rays from 06.09.2011 / 29.09.2011 / 08.11.2011

Since my accident 4 years ago I was x-rayed so often that I meanwhile have an
“Inner Glow” !!

That the fracture is healing very slowly due to my spinal cord injury is nothing new, but even for me this is “going” a bit too slow.

To my question to the doc if I could maybe leave the orthosis out at least at night I got the reply:

Well…, if it’s cracking, you have to wear the orthosis longer.

When the doc is right, he’s right…!!!

Everything is going to be alright!

I have decided to stay calm and to “sit it out”.

Translator BL

Addendum 2 Chock X

Monday, October 10th, 2011

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As mentioned, even the white orthosis was at some stage finalized, and I left the hospital.
The great thing with this kind of orthosis is that you can bend your leg. Therefore you are quite mobile in the flat because you can sit in your own wheelchair. The leg should be rested in an elevated position as much as possible, which I realize with two flower stools and a cushion. The transfer to bed, shower… is ok.
With the rented

“Tank Wheelchair”,

in which you are supposed to drive with outstretched leg, independent navigation even in the flat is not possible for me.
This thing makes no headway, and it doesn’t have hand rim coats either.
Furthermore with this size I would need a new set of furniture after two weeks. A transfer to the bed is very critical, even with a second person.
A trip outside with pusher can’t be expected from anyone. At the

White Orthosis

the finetuning was still missing. Now it fits ;-)

Translator BL

Technical Aids Tips und Tricks XLIV

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

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With all my replacement parts in and on my body I have to apply for a passport as “Borg” soon if it is “going” on like this. But without all this high tech there wouldn’t be much going on with me.

It always makes me a little sad when healthy adults call each other a “spaz”.

I only think: If you haven’t got a clue simply shut up!

Click here on the picture!

Spasticity occurs due to neural damages. The reasons are various, e.g. genetic defect, stroke or as in my case an injury of the spinal cord.

My damaged nerve endings got bored in a way six month after the accident, and they decided to give my body, especially my legs, tremors.

There were such powers that I could unintentionally do a backbend where only heels and shoulders were touching the bed.

In that time the spasticity increased daily. Some day one has reached the end of the medication dose that can be delivered with pills.

There is an ingenious solution, an

Implanted Medication Pump.

This pump is “embedded” surgically under the skin in the abdomen. From there a tube (catheter) is going to the spine. There is a needle which delivers the medication into the intrathecal space where fluid flows around the spinal cord. Because the medication is delivered directly to where it’s needed instead of tablets going through stomach, intestine, blood…, only small amounts of medication are needed.

The pump is programmable from the outside. To refill it the skin and a small silicone membrane in the pump are pierced with a needle.

Such a refilling with the amount of three-quarter of a champagne glass is enough for around 6 months for me.

After 7 years the batteries of the pump are empty and I have to go under the knife again. But I don’t mind…!!!

Just in time for my last birthday the pump got additionally filled with morphine against the pain. What a trip, I’d rather be boozed!!! :-(

Translator BL

Who doesn’t ask remains unknowing!!!

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

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Today’s question for you:

Between these X-rays lies a period of 3,5 weeks.
I can see a little change and I don’t currently mind if my right leg is standing 2 mm shorter on the footrest of my wheelchair. But don’t you think as well that it is “going” a bit too slow???

Post a comment!!!

As Game Knuckle (from an African Oryx antelope)

I know the bone structure quite well.

Translator BL

Addendum Chock X

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

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Master Gepetto from the orthopedic craft shop actually managed to finalize the orthosis on Thursday afternoon so that nothing stands in the way of being released from the hospital. However I have to correct the naming of the orthosis. The name snow lionpard is invalid.

At closer examination it is clearly the model known from Star Wars:

Imperial Clone Trooper

After three wins in a row I have hung up the Eintracht Frankfurt pennant above my bed at home as well.

Translator BL

Chock Part X

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

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Master Geppetto’s orthopedic craft shop

Escape from the hospital, target: Friday

Meanwhile my hospital stay has escalated to an

Extreme Orthosis Testing.

Type one, the “Blue Lionpard” (see older blogpost Chock IX), had a very eventful life. After a couple of cuddling hours in the first night my heel cancelled the friendship with the orthosis. I better refrain from posting a picture of my heel.

The “Blue Lionpard ” was permanently parked on the chair opposite of my bed for the time being.
As an interim solution until “Leo” only would be completely cushioned, I got orthosis two, the

Black Knight

After the chief physician himself brought the orthosis back to the orthopedic craft shop to Master Geppetto, it was gone for the next eight days.

On Monday, despite of the morning call from my doctor and verbal promise, I was waiting for Master Geppetto without success.

Tuesday noon Master Geppetto came to my room with orthosis “Leo” under his arm, cushioned and stretched. After the fitting he said they would have to rework it again. It still would be a little tight (so true!), but promised to come back in the afternoon. Geppetto didn’t really come… Total failure, nothing again!

Wednesday morning the same. On inquiry of my physician, where Geppetto had been on the previous day, he said he had worked on the orthosis and he would come during the day. When???

This time I called myself and asked when he would come. What a miracle, Geppetto came with reinforcement and the lower part of a substantially wider and cushioned orthosis. In the first moment I thought he had repainted the Blue Lionpard .
This thing was white.
Far from it, orthosis three, type

White Snow Leopard

Geppetto promised to come back definitely in the afternoon with the then double cushioned lower part so that I can try it in the night. He would “carve” the upper part the next day.

I knew that he was closing the craft shop towards 18:00 h and called him at 17:40 h. I talked to Angelo who reported that Geppetto would be out of office, probably on his way to see me.

This was not the case. On my second call the master told me he had done something different, but would come the next day at 11:00 with the finished orthosis.

I called on Thursday at 11:00 h, he put me off to 13:00 h. Master Geppetto actually came with the supposed finished

Snow Leopard Orthosis

He observed during the fitting on my leg that the upper part needed to be adjusted a little bit, but this should be done quickly, and he would be back in a moment. The master was back only 40 minutes later. Geppetto observed that the whole orthosis still needed a little fine tuning, but this should be done in around half an hour if nothing unexpected would come up, and off he went. This was at 14:00 h. Let’s wait and see if my fracture has completely healed when I see Master Geppetto the next time…

And the moral of the story:

I know now how Pinocchio got his “long nose gene”.

Next time I will carve my medical devices myself again!

Translator BL

 

Chock Part IX

Monday, September 26th, 2011

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I’m still in the hospital, but conditionally online again. If everything works out well I will execute the escape plan still this week ;-)

I am quite glad that the shinbone fracture is treated conventionally, i.e. no additional screws, nails or other titanic parts are built in my body.
With a set of screws in my neck and medication pump in my belly, with tube and needle in the back, I feel a little bit like “Seven of Nine” of Star Trek anyway.
The usual treatment of a broken leg is simple, plaster from toe to comfort zone, wait for six weeks and see what has happened.
The whole situation is for a wheelchair user a bit inconvenient, and the daily routine with a leg in plaster is hardly imaginable.
Basically another wheelchair is required in which the leg can be stretched as well to prevent swelling.
At the thought of a different wheelchair I already get toothache.
With outstretched leg I hardly fit on my platform lifter to reach my flat in the first floor, transfer to bed, etc. etc. etc…
It was decided to make an orthosis for me. For this, a plaster cast of the leg is made and plastic splints type “Run Forest Run” fabricated. Because this orthosis is only reaching the knee, the leg can be bent nevertheless. It “just” has to be cushioned, but I am already introducing it, the

Blue Lionpard

Ok, I can’t fully compete with the appearance of “Seven of Nine“!

What a cheek, that plaster leg filling guy wanted to paste a sticker from the rivalling football club inside of the orthosis.

Translator BL

I am until the end of the month for medical device self test in the hospital!

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011

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Hätte ich mir doch eine andere Verletzung als einen Schienbeinbruchs ausgesucht!

 


If I just had picked another injury than a broken leg!

 

Technical Aids Tips und Tricks XLI

Tuesday, July 26th, 2011

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After a few months in the hospital you get on rather friendly terms with nurses and physicians.

Of course a little piece of humour belongs to it as well.

If one as quadriplegic (spinal injury in the cervical area) like me can’t use arms and hands in an efficient way any more, spaghetti are not the favourite type of pasta.

One day the nurse came with the lunch, it was spaghetti, put it on my bedside table and was waiting for my comment if he could cut the pasta for me.

He was waiting for the comment in vain. I tried to eat these long objects by myself, have to see it sportingly, luckily I was not hungry…

It was a perfect show!!!

At some time a physician came into the room and watched this scenario with the pasta and me slightly grinning, but didn’t propose to cut the pasta neither, and I wasn’t keen on asking her.

I said to her that next time when the food is spaghetti again I would be motorised. I would only need two tie wraps to fix a fork. But had the suspicion that my milk frother would be a little bit too fast. We both had some fun. She didn’t seriously believe the thing about motorisation.

I only thought: You don’t know me!!!

Have a look yourself, one week later the

9,5 Volt Spaghetti Tetra Fork

About risks and generated injuries please contact your physician, nurse or nearest do-it-yourself-store staff.

Addendum: Construction manual for spaghetti tetra bit by popular request.

Saw a standard fork off and forge it flat. Really flat.

Saw approx. 5 cm off an M6 Allen key and weld it lengthwise to the fork stump. Not to the tine, I know it can happen!!!

Polish the welding seam with a one hand angle grinder. If possible keep a little bit of the welding.

Balance the bit at low speed on a drill press with a rubber mallet like a car tyre. Placing additional weight is not absolutely necessary.

Buy a cordless electric screwdriver with very low rotation speed, otherwise the special fork can be used to whip cream.

Boil spaghetti, and it’s done.

Safety instruction: Don’t start screwdriver with fork brought into the mouth, otherwise only the dentist will be happy.

Have fun with dotting your flat red!

Translator BL

I will only travel by bus soon!

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011

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It is time again for my favourite subject:
The disabled parking place and its consequences for my blood pressure.

I have sufficiently explained in older blogposts that I need to open the driver’s door completely to get in and out of the car.

When I am parking, I leave on the driver’s side as much space as possible, even on big disabled parking places. You never know what may come to some people’s mind.

Additionally I have a big

”Please keep distance” label

next to my driver’s door.

Today I was ambulant in hospital and was happy that even two disabled parking places, even next to each other, were still free.
I decided to take the right one and leave in old manner enough space on the left side to get out. The blue car on the left applied the same method on the passenger’s side. Have a look what I had to experience when I wanted to go home.

Irrespective of the impertinence to park between two disabled parking places, this matchbox car has a disabled parking permit on the windscreen and a label on the driver’s door:

“Please keep door width distance”

The driver can only hope that he or she will never meet me in person. This person will be really disabled then, namely deaf.

How I came back into my car is kept my secret. Even as pedestrian you don’t manage to come into the car with half-opened driver’s door due to my foldaway slide board. To slide over from the passenger’s seat on to the driver’s seat is not possible either due to the hand throttle system! Additionally I have a metal plate in front of my pedals.
I don’t know if the wheeler has ever made it into the blue car.

Translator BL

Nothing but the truth…

Thursday, January 27th, 2011

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As you can see from the tags (frontpage right site) the subject of handicap parking almost protrudes my blog meanwhile.
But I absolutely have to tell this story, I have witnesses:

On Monday I exceptionally took my own car to go to the hospital, I wanted to go to physiotherapy in their therapy pool. Usually I take the handicap taxi service for this.

Great thing with this taxi service, thanks to the city of Frankfurt from this side.
In half a year 96 taxi rides respectively 36 taxi rides when a car is owned are for us handicapped Frankfurt citizens within the town and surroundings free of charge. The city bears the costs.
This should be introduced in the whole of Germany.

Then it was time again for having some fun with parking at the hospital.

On one of the 6 disabled parking places a minivan taxi was standing, great…


When I arrived another wheelchair user just parked his car on the left side in the restricted parking (we are allowed to), but left enough space for not blocking the SUV which stood on one of the disabled parking places.

I parked my car into this space because the wheelchair driving SUV driver is a friend of mine with whom I am in the water together anyway.
When I looked around from my car out of the open door which kind fellow citizen might help me getting out of the car I could hardly believe my own eyes.

There was actually sitting a (female) driver in the minivan taxi!!!

I didn’t see her before, the blood pressure rises if you want or not.
I don’t mind if pedestrians are parking on a disabled parking place if they remain sitting in the car and drive their vehicle away when one of us would like to park there.
In this moment another wheelchair user arrived with his car and parked on the other side in the restricted parking.

Is the lady really that ignorant?

Just wait until I am out of the car!
I had the impression that she was watching me.

Hmmm, why not actually get out of the car with her help?

Then the lady gets at least out of her warm car in the fresh (cold) air, is doing something good, and an adequate comment will be placed by me at the end for free as well.

I beckoned to her, and to my surprise she actually approached me from her car.
My look was probably not the friendliest one.

Even before I could say anything she said meekly to me:

I know, I know… my car is not starting, I am waiting for the breakdown service!

Can I help?

Translator BL

Eigude Shame XIV

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

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This story is 100% something, but nothing good.

Once upon a time there was a little wheelchair driver, I call him “me”,
who was snoring like a giant, so he had to go to sleep laboratory.

Although the hospital is located in the same part of the town where I live, I should/had to stay on a normal ward after the tests in the sleep laboratory at night to doze and wait.

After 3 years with daily required assistance with the morning toilet I thought it wouldn’t be the worst idea to enquire one week in advance if I had to consider anything.
Except that the rooms were accessible (I was rejected to look into the bathroom), I was told by a long-time sister nurse with white bonnet only that I had to bring a shower commode chair myself if I needed one, and that she didn’t have time for me now. (see older blogpost).

She was reproaching later that I only had requests from the start. That’s right, “information”, what a cheek, how could I dare to ask questions about this ward?

One week later I went together with my shower commode chair to the hospital. I had released my girls from the daily home care service.

First night in the sleep laboratory.

Endless cables, ECG, EEG, breath measurement, microphone, camera tracking…

I am not sure if my update was completed successfully.

At 5:30 h to ward, get into bed.
A nurse came around 8:00 h, and a nurse trainee buttered my bread rolls, yummy breakfast.
(I thanked her for that).

Along the way I was told by the inpatient care that I had to stay another night.
I gave way to my senile roommate (he was drinking with preference out my glass and was glued to TV without sound) to go to the bathroom first with the nurse trainee.
My stay in the bathroom always takes a little longer even with assistance, what I also told to the nurse. She replied she would be coming when she had time. Well, I had to have time.

Bonnet, you know who I mean, claimed on the next day that I had sent away the nurse to have some peace in the bathroom. Of course you can interpret it like this if you let your roommate go to the bathroom first.
Around 11:45 h nurse and trainee came, helped me on my shower commode chair and assisted me for around 5 minutes in the bathroom, then they left me alone standing in front of the washing basin.
When I asked about taking a shower I got basically the comment:
You are not dirty, so you don’t need one, and both left the bathroom.

I washed myself as far as it was possible with my motor skills.
The bad thing was that due to pipeline damage I could decide between cold and ice cold water. Retrospectively I didn’t want to take a shower any more.
Somebody could have said something, it was known since a week.

After half an hour I rang the bell.
I was hoping to get assistance for further washing, transfer into bed and putting on the clothes.
How fatal!!!
Bonnet came to the bathroom extremely stressed, asked what I was wanting, she was dishing out the lunch, and she didn’t have gloves. Ehhh… I was just a little late.
Short assistance in the bathroom and got my clothes together by myself. I just made it into bed with her help. Everything very relaxed!
Along the way she told me that once there was another wheelchair user there, and he had brought his own nurse. And I had released my home care girls!
Why have I been there a week before???

I was perplexed, stressed and did without any further help.
I don’t know why I didn’t tell anything to the ward physician who was just in the room.
During the attempt to put on my clothes myself a small older cut opened up and my bed sheet was dotted red.
At 12:00 h a nurse from the sleep laboratory came, my neighbour just got his lunch, she helped me to put on my clothes.
Then I had two examinations, later a sleeping mask was fitted for me, and I was explained in a kind of support group the function and maintenance of a “sleep respirator”. Until then I didn’t see a physician in charge, not that I mind…

15:00 h escape to home, I skipped my lunch which was still standing around.
20:00 h back to the lion’s den.
Before I had just managed that one of my girls would come to the hospital the next morning. Whew…

For inexplicable reasons there was a label with the name of my senile roommate on my pill box. My dope is good. He had diabetes of high degree. Luckily he hadn’t taken any of my pills yet. I locked them up in my closet.

I now had to use my from whomsoever prescribed sleeping mask in the sleep laboratory.

The sleeping mask, model: “I am your father”,

was not my cup of tea.

The alternative variant

type Dumbo

(nasal pillow)

brought me peaceful dreams without snoring. Thanks to nurse Christine for the unbureaucratic help.
This system is very recommendable, I will write a separate blogpost about it.

Around 07:30 h it came between bonnet and me (she came to the room because of my roommate) to a debate regarding the “care” of the previous day.
The bed with the blood spots had never been made either.
My blood pressure is very low and rarely rises above 100.
Bonnet managed within two minutes to bring my blood pressure to around 140 even without any coffee, new record.
I had to hear several times that even handicapped people should say thanks and please!
This to me…, do I have to jump for joy when I may leave the bed at 11:00 h?
Two minutes after the small dispute my home care girl arrived. She told me that she had a suspicion from the start that I would have fun in the hospital.
She was working in this hospital before and knew bonnet with her kindness.
The shower works if you want it, and there was even warm water. Thanks to Vesna. Mysteriously even my bed sheets had been changed after my stay in the bathroom. Now absolutely useless!

It was clear to me that I would leave this building as soon as possible. I visited the physician’s room and had an appointment half an hour later.

12:30 h departure with shower commode chair and anti-snoring device.

Now personally for bonnet:
Thank you that I could leave this ward!!!

The whole stress for 2 examinations and 2 interviews between 12:00 h and 15:00 h on day 1 and one follow-up talk on day 2.

Bonnet reminded me strongly of the “penguin” from the movie “Blues Brothers”.

Translator BL

Eigude Shame XIII

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

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Some fellow patients who were lying with me in the same hospital room for months permanently stated that I had to go to the sleep laboratory.
My wife has the same opinion, and I agree with her because I wake up every now and then from my own

“slight rattling”.

The Guinness book of records lists snoring of 93 decibel what is corresponding to the noise level of a busy highway (source Wikipedia).

Because I didn’t want to break this record I had to do something.
I got a case from my doctor, a mobile sleep laboratory, that means that you fix a black box around your belly at home in bed at night and wire yourself up. Good night.

Based on these results I was admitted to the hospital.
I had the suspicion that it could be a well-disguised compulsory hospitalization. There might be plenty of reasons!

Sleep laboratory at night, normal ward during the day.
Yesterday I went to the hospital to express various special wheelchair requests. Rest periods, menu sequence…

The hospital already left a permanent impression before I was even inside. At the main entrance there is a great

wheelchair ramp,

but no lowered curb.

Although the gateway on the right side of the main entrance is usable as wheelchair driver, it might be dangerous as it is quite uneven and not on grate.

If you get overrun by a car or do a backflip after curb jumping at least the way to the hospital is not very far.

 

Translator BL